Internal-combustion engine.



A. A. RUEGG. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, 1913.

1,120,979. Patented Dec. 15,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

\VITNESS ES: INVENTOR jamw A'rro RNEY A. A. RUEGG.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25. 1,913,

4 SHEETSSHBBT 2.

J 5 1a 4 r 5' WITNESSES: b j INVESTOR An/an d faeyy,

WfaKJ/W A'n-ORNEY A. A. RUEGG.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, 1913.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. q INVENTOR 4421/0114. Faegy ANTON RUEGG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Applicationfiled March 25, 1913. Serial No. 756,667.

To all whom/it may concern Be it known that I, AN'roN A. Runes, a citizen of the United States, residin at San Francisco, in the county of San. rancisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine of the two-cycle type.

It is the object of this invention to provide an engine of the type in which an inflammable vapor or explosive mixture is compressed and exploded in a cylinder above a piston to reciprocate the latter, and to provide means by which the explosive mixture will be drawn continuously .from' the carbureter when the engine is in operation.

A further object is to provide an internal combustion engine in which four cylinders comprise a unit; and to so form or shape the istons therein, and so arrange or place the inlet ports opening to the interior of the cylinders and connecting with a carbureter, that gases will be drawn from the carbureter continuously and heated in one cylinderbefore being introduced into the explosion,

chamber of another cylinder.

A further object is to provide a two-cycle internal combustion engine of high efficiency and capable of being operated at variable speeds or at either a high or a low speed; and which will operate only in-one direction and thereby obviate accidental reversal.

Another object is to provide an internal combustion engine having no timing valves or small working parts, and in which a thorough scavenging of the burned gases and a complete recharging of the combustion chambers will be obtained; and in which the compression of the charge in the crankcase or elsewhere other than in the explosion chamber is obviated.

Another object is to provide an engine of the above character which is simple in con- 'struction and readily assembled, and which is positive and reliable in its operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention primarily resides in a series of four engine cylinders, eachcontaining a double piston; the pistons in the cylinders connecting with a crank-shaft; and in the arrangements and connections of the inlet ports of the cylinders with each other and the carbureter, by means of which, the explosive mixture will be drawn continuously from the carbureter and be delivered successively to the explosive chambers of the engine cylinders. i

.The invention further consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the'accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of one of the engine cylinders. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line H of Fig. 1. r Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 11-?) of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsection on the line cc of Fig. Fi 5 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan View ofthe upper end of a piston, showing the deflector construction. Fig. 7 is a plan view-'of the engine. and 11 are diagrams illustrating the four pistons of the engine in one o cle of operation. Fi 12 is a vertical section on the line e-e of ig. 7 Fig. 13 is a vertical section on the line f f of Fig. 7.

In carryingout the present invention it Figs. 8, 9,10.

is necessary to employ four engine cylinders,

construction, are indicated in the aceompanying drawings by reference characters ABC and D, to facilitatethe explanation of the'operation of the engine. As the construction of the engine cylinders A-B- G and D, the pistons therein, and the arran ement of ports is practically identical, the lescription of the construction of oneof the engine cylinders will be confined to the one designated as-A. This engine cylinderA is constructed with an interior having two diameters to form communicating chambers 2 and 3, the smaller of which, indicated at 2, is u permost and contains a piston 4 of a length approximating one-half the length 'ofthechamber 2, which length is substantially the length of 'wall of the inlet The enlarged lower chamber 3 of the engine cylinder contains a piston 5 which connects with the piston 4 by 6.; .the pistons 4 and5 and the stem 6 being preferably formed in one integral structure. The piston 4 is pivotally attached to apiston rod 7, which leads to and connects with a crank 8 on a crank-shaft 9, revolu'bly mounted in suitable bearings in a crank-case 10. Formed in the walls of the upper chamher 2 is a vertically extending'inlet port 11, which opens into the chamber 2 at a "point immediately, below the piston 4 when the piston is in its uppermost position; the port 11 opening into the space formed between the upper piston 4 and the lower piston 5. and surrounding the stem 6. .Connecting 'with the outer portion of the port ll is an inlet port 12, which is separated from the inner'portion of the port 11 by means of a horizontally extending partition 13; the port 12opening into the upper chamber 2 at a point above the upper end of the piston 4 when thelatter is in itslowermost position.

Opening into the chamber 2, at a 'point diametrically opposite the .port 12, isian in- -let port 14, the upper wall of which is disposed on' a plane slightly above the upper port 12. The port 14 opens into a passage 15, leading to and opening into thelower chamber 3 above the piston v5 thereim An intake port 16, connecting with a carbureter of any suitable construet'ion, opens to the upper chamber 2' at a point on a plane with the port 11, as shown in Fig. 4. An exhaust port 17 leads from the chamber 2 at a point immediately-above the upper end of the piston 4 when the latter is in its lowermost position; the lower wall of the exhaust port 17-being on a. plane with the-lower walls of the ports 12 and 14, while the upper wall of exhaust port'17 is disposed on a plane slightly above the upper wall of the port 14. Openinginto the chamber 3, above the piston 5, is anZintake and discharge. port 18, which port communicates with the ports 11 and 12 on-an adjacent engine cylinder, as will presently be described.

The cylinders A and B are disposed on opposite sides ofthe'crank-shaft 9, as-shown in Fig. 12, and the connecting rods 7 0f the pistons 3 and 5 of the cylinders A and -,B connect with the crank 8 on the crank-shaft; the engine cylinders A and B being ofi-set in relation to each other on a horizontal plane to permit of this connection. v

The cylinders O and D are arranged on opposite sides of the crank-shaft 9; the cylinder C being on the same side with the cylinder A, and the cylinder D on the same side with the cylinder B, Fig. 7; the cylinders C and D being oif-set 1n relation to stroke of the piston; each" other so that means of a hollow stem" the pistons therein may connected'to a crank 8' on the crankshaft 9 which extends in a direction opposite to that of the crank 8. Thecylinders A and B are in a diiferent plane transverse to the shaft 9 from the cylinders-B and C, as -indicated-z bythe broken lines. e and f, Fig. 7, and the crank-shaft 9 is off-set from the line of intersection of the axes of the engine cylinders. oially shown in signed forthe purpose of disposing the pistons in the engine cylinders in such relation to the'cranks as to cause the impulse of the pistons to act on the cranks after thelatter have passed their centers.

This arrangement is espe- Figs. 12 and 13,'and is de- An important feature of this invention resides. the manner of connecting the ports, jp-reviously described'in. reference to the engine cylinder A, tothe' corresponding ports on the cylinders B and D, which connections are 7 to 11, inclusive. of the ports is as follows :'Leading from the ports 11- .and 12 on the cylinder A is a conduit 20, which connects with the port 18 on the cylinder D. The ports 11 and 12 on the cylinder B open to a conduit 21 connecting with the port 18 on-the cylinder A; ports 11 and 12 on the cylinder-Q open to a conduit22 leadingto the port.18 on the cylinder '13; and the ports 11 and 12 on the cylinder D open to a conduit 23 leading to the port 18 haust' ports 17 in the several cylinders con- .nect with exhaust pipes 24 which lead to any suitable point of discharge.

A complete cycle-of operation of the engine will now be described: Assume the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 8, 12and 13'(thepositions'indicated in Figs. 12an'd 13 corresponding to positions shown in Fig. 8), with the pistons 4 and 5 in the chambers 2 and 3 of the cylinder A in their uppermost position and about to move on the downward stroke the pistons in the cylinder Bin anintermediate positio'non the upward stroke; the pistons in the cylinder CSin the lowermost position about to move on the upward stroke, thecylinder D in an intermediate position on the down stroke as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 8. When the piston 4 is in its uppermost "position the inlet ports 12 and 14, and the exhaust port 17 are closed; when the piston 4 is initsintermediate-position, either on its upward or downward stroke, the, inlet ports 11, 12,14 and 16, and the exhaust port 17 are closed, and when the piston 4 is in its lowermost position the inlet ports 11 and 16 are closed, while the inlet ports 12"and Y14 and the exhaust port 17 are open. The piston 4 in moving to its uppermost position compresses a charge of explosive mixture in the upper end of the and the pistons in on the cylinder 0, The ex- I smegma chamber 2 in the engine cylinder A, the charge being delivered to the chamber'2 through the ports 12 and 14 when the piston 4' is in its lowermost position, as will be later described. The compressed explosive gases in the engine cylinder A, above the piston4,

are exploded by an electric spark or in any suitable manner,- the explosion and consequent' expansion of the chargeacting to force the piston downward and thereby rotate the crank-shaft 9 in the direction of arrow g, in Fig. 12; an explosive charge having previously been exploded in the upper end of the chamber 2 in the engine cylinder D, above the piston 4'therein, to force the piston downward and thereby rotate the crank-shaft 9, through the crank 8, in the direction of arrow h in Fig. 13.

The explosion of the gases in the engine cylinder A takes place immediately after the piston 4 has started onits downward stroke, so that thepressure will operate on the crank 8 after the latter has passed out of alinement with the piston rod 7 and the center of the shaft 9. The downward stroke of the piston 4 in the engine cylinder A, rotatingthecrank- 8 in the direction of arrow '9 111 Fig. 12, causes the piston 4 in the engine cylinder B to move upward on its compression stroke to compress a charge in the upper portion der B. The piston 4 injthe engine cylinder C will also move upward on its compression stroke on the downward movement of piston-4 1n the cylinder A, and the piston'4 in the cylinder D will move downward on its explosion stroke. The'piston 5 in the engine cylinder D, moving downward with the piston 4, operates on the latter part otits' stroke in conjunction with the piston 5 inthe cylinder A, to draw acharge of explosive mixture from a carbureter through the pipe 19 and inlet port 16 in A, which charge is drawn into Le space between the piston 4 and the pist I 5 in the engine cylinder A as these pistons 4 and 5 move downward. The piston 4 in the cylinder B, on moving upward, opens the :port 11 and causes a volume of explosive mixture previously drawn into the space above the piston 5 in the cylinder B to pass through the port 11, conduit-21 and port 18 into the engine cylinder A, above the downwardly moving piston 5 in the latter; the upward movement-of the piston 5 in the engine cylinder B also causing a volume of the explosive mixture thereabove to pass through the port 18 in the cylinder B, through the conduit'22, into the upper chamber 2 of the engine cylinder C, through the port 12, above the piston 4, which piston, is now in its lowermost position in the cylinder 0. The discharge of the ex'plo'sivemixtur from the chamber 3 in the cylinder- B, into the-cylinder Ayabdve the piston 5,418 occasioned bywhaupward of the chamber 2 in the engine cylinmovement of the piston 5 in the cylinder B,

acts to break the suction above the piston 5 in the cylinder A, excepting such as is occasioned by the downward movement of the piston 5 in the cylinder D, on the lower half of its stroke. The charges thus drawn into the chamber 3 in the cylinder A and the chamber 3 in the cylinder D are heated by contact with .thepiston stem 6 in the cylin- (let A. The piston 5 in the engine cylinder engine cylinder C will be charged with an explosive mixture, which will be delivered through the ports 12 and 14, by the upward movement of the pistons 5 in the cylinders B and'-C; the inrushing explosive mixture, striking against a deflector 25 on the upper end of the piston 4, acting to force the previously burned charge downwardly and out theexhaus't port 17 in the engine cylinder C. This having occurred, the pistons-4 and 5 in the engine cylinder C will move upward on their up-stroke to the intermediate position, 'as indicated in Fig. 9; the pistons in the cylinder Bcoming to their uppermost positions, and the pistons in the cylinder D to their lowermost positions, while the pistons in the cylinder A will be in their intermediate positions and moving downward. The piston 4 in the engine cylinder C in moving upward closes ports 12, 14 and 17, and the piston 5 in. the enginecylinder C operates to force a portion of the explosive charge thereabove through the port 18 in the engine cylinder C and conduit 23 into'the engine cylinder D, through the port 12, above the piston 4, which is now in its lowermost position. When thepiston 4 in the engine cylinder C has moved upward a sufiicient distance to partially open the port 11, the piston 5 in the cylinder C will act to deliver a portion of the explosive charge thereabove through the port 11,conduit 22 and port 18 in the engine cylinder B, into the space abovethe piston 5 in the latter cylinder, which piston is about to move on its downward stioke. The previous upward movement of the piston 4 in the engine cylinder B compressed the explosive muxture in the upperchamber 2 of the cylinder B,

which mixture is then exploded to cause the pistons 4 and 5 in the cylinder B to move on the down-stroke.- The piston 5 in the engine cylinder A, on moving down the latter I alf'of its stroke, acts to draw a charge from I the carbureter throughithe port.16 in the engine cylinder B, through the port ll and .the,cylinder B, and the conduit 21, connectinggwith the port 18 in the engine cylin- 'derA... I I

When the piston 4 in the engine cylinder (lie in its uppermost position, as shown in' Fig. 10, the compressedexplosive mixture .abovethe piston 4 is exploded to force the pistons L and 5 downward. The pistons 4 and 5'in the engine cylinderA will-then .move upward to deliver an initial charge into'theexplosion chamber above the piston itherein, simultaneous with a charge which will e'delivered from the engine cylinder D .through the conduit and the port 12. Ihe :piston 5 in the engine cylinder B, on the latter half of its down-stroke, will draw a charge throughthe conduit 22 from the space above the-piston 5 the cylinder C.

When the piston 4 in the cylinder D is in its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 11, the compressed explosive mixture .thereabove is exploded to force the pistons 4: and 5 in the cylinder D downward; the downward'movement ofthe piston 5 in the cylinder D operating to draw a charge through the conduit 20 from the lowerchamber 3 of the'cylinder A, above the piston 5 therein, through the port 11 in the cylinder A. The piston 5-i n-the engine'cylinder C, on moving gdownwardon the latter half of its stroke,

. will operate to draw a charge from the carbureter through the port 16 in the'cylinder Thepistons 4 and 5 in the engine cylinder B,,.wi1l now, on moving. up from their lowermost positions, deliver. an initial .charge to the upper chamber 2 of the cylinder B, through the port 14; the piston 5.in' the}. cylinder A also forcing a quantity'of explosive mixture into the chamber 2 in the cylinder E f From the foregoing it will be seen that on the initial upward movement of the pistons 4. and 5 a partial charge will be delivered above the piston {1- into the chamber 2, from the-chamber 3, by the upward movement' of the piston 5; a charge also being delivered through the inlet port 12 by the upward movement of the piston 5 in an adjacent cylinder; the piston 4 closing the port 12 before the port 14 is entirely closed, and the exhaust port 17 remaining open untilafter the, port 14 has been. closed to insure a-thorough scavenging of the burned gases by the inrushing fresh charge. The upward .movement of the piston 5"also acts, during an. intermediate portion .of its upward stroke, to deliver a quantity of the explosive mixture through the port.12 of an adjacent cylinder, and on the upper portion of the stroke delivers the explosive mixture into the chamber 3 above the piston 5 of an 'adjacent cylinder. When the piston 5 starts .on its down-stroke, the suction thereabove is der.

broken by the delivery of the explosive mixspace above the pistonv5 on the first portion of its 'downward stroke being filled by the mixture delivered from As the piston 5 moves on the latter portion of its downward stroke, the remainder of the chamber. 3 is filled from the carbureter connecting with 'an adjacent cylininterrupted fiow'of' the explosive mixture from the carbureter is obtained. This construction-also causes the cold explosive mixture after being drawn from the carbureter to be mixed with a heated volume of exp'losive mixture in a chamber 3 before being discharged into the explosion chamber 2.

It will be observed that the explosive mixture will not be compressed by the pistons plurality of cylinders each having superposed communicating chambers of different diameters, connected, pistons-in said chambers, a feed port and an intake port opening to the space between the pistons, an inlet .port connecting with said intake port opening to the upper chamber above the upper vpiston, a passage-leading from the lower chamber and opening into the upper chamher one plane abovethe inlet port, a port in the lower chamber above the piston therein communicating with the combined inlet an adjacent cylin- I der. By this construction a continuous, un-

and "intake ports of an adjacent cylinder,

and an exhaust port in the upper chamber. 2. A11 internal combustion engine comprising a series of four cylinders, ABC. -and D, each of said cylinders being formed with superposed axially connected chambers of difiereht diameters, a piston in the up r chamber and a piston in the lower cham r connected together, -a feed port and an intake portopening to a space between the pistons, an inlet port opening to the upper chamber above the piston therein, a passage leading from the lower chamber opening into the upper chamberv above the piston therein, an open port in the lower chamber above the piston therein, an exhaust port in the upper chamber, the open ort in the lower chamber of the cylinder K communieating with the inlet and intake ports of the cylinder B, the open port in the lower chamber of the cylinder B communicating with the inlet and intake ports of the cylinder C the ort in the lower chamber of the cylinder. communicating with the-intake and inlet ports of the cylinder D, and the port in the lower chamber of the cylinder D communicating with the inlet and intake ports in the cylinder A.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising four cylinders, ABC and D, a pair of superposed pistons in each of said cylinders, a feed port connecting with a carbureter opening into a space between the superposed pistons, a passage leading from above the lower piston and opening above the upper piston when the latter is in its lowermost position, an inlet port opening above the upperpiston, an intake port opening above the lower piston adapted to be closed by the upper piston, an open port above the lower'piston, the open port of the cylinder A communicating with the intake and inlet ports of the cylinder B, the open port of the cylinder B communicating with the intake and inlet ports of the cylinder C, the open port of the cylinder C communieating-With the inlet and intake ports of the cylinder D, and the open port of the cylinder D communicating with the intake and inlet ports of the cylinder A.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising four cylinders, A-BC and D, a pair of superposed pistons in each of said cylinders, a feed port opening to a space between the superposed pistons connecting with a carbureter, a passage leading from above the lower piston and opening above the upper piston when the latter is in its lowermost position, an inlet port opening above the up er piston, an intake ort openin above t e lower piston adapted to be close by the upper piston, an open port above the lower piston, the open port of the cylinder A communicating withthe intake and inlet ports of the cylinder B, the open port of the cylinder B communicating with the intake and inlet ports of the cylinder C, the

open port of the cylinder C communicating with the inlet and intake ports of the cylinderD, the open port of the cylinder D communicating with the intake and inlet ports of the cylinder A, exhaust ports in each of said cylinders; the pistons in the cylinders acting to open and close the ports and transfer the impelling medium.

.5. An internal combustion engine comprising a series of four cylinders, A-B-C and D, a pair of superposed connected pistons of different diameters in each of said cylinders, a feed port connecting'with a source of supply opening to a space between the superposed pistons in each of the cylinders, an exhaust portopening above the uppermost piston when the latter is in its lowermost position, an intake port opening to the space between the pistons when in their uppermost position, an inlet port above said intake port opening above the uppermost piston when in its lowermost position, a passage above the lower piston opening above the uppermost piston when the latter is in its lowermost position, an open port above the lower piston in the cylinder A communicating with the intake and inlet ports in the cylinder B, an open port above the lower piston in'the cylinder B communicating with the intake and inlet ports of cylinder C, an

Y open port in the cylinder C communicating with the inlet and intake ports of the cylinder D, and an open port above the lower piston in the cylinder D opening to the intake and inlet'ports of cylinder A.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. ANTON A. RUEGG.

Witnesses:

EDMUND NELSON, ROBERT E. Ross. 

